Indoor Softball Drills – Crazed

Purpose: This indoor game teaches aggressive baserunning, the art of the rundown, and force outs. Coach’s would recommend to have rundown practices as a Softball Coaching Tip.

Procedure: Have Three gym mats, home plate, rubber ball and bat for this drill. Spread the mats across a gym floor for bases. Each hitter has a 3-and-2 count. The defense must stand around the gym with everyone behind the pitcher. At least one player must be playing each infield position including catcher. The instructor is the pitcher and umpire. Outs are recorded just as in a real game. Runs are scored for each base touched, instead of having to touch all four. The base runner must stay on the bag once the pitcher retrieves the ball (i.e on the rubber) innings end after the third out. There is no limit to the number of runners on a single base. Advancement is voluntary. However, you cannot pass a runner in front of you. A player is safe while standing on a base. Fielders can tag out any runner with the ball (“Indian Rubber” is allowed with a softball thrown below the waist). Force outs can only occur at first base.

Then try this game another way. After a hit, the batter keeps running until hearing “stop”. Innings can last for three batters or the entire offensive team. The fielding team must retrieve the ball everyone must touch the ball and then yell “stop”. After a few times around, ask the kids to think of better ways to work together. They first may have thrown the ball to each person. Then someone may have run around to touch each person with the ball. The goal is for everyone to run to the person who catches the ball, form a circe, and for each person to touch the ball. The hitting team (after contact) could also be scoring runs by sprinting wall to wall. Each touched wall is a run. Instead of running do push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, or anything building stamina, endurance and strength.